Republican spirits lifted but polls tell different story

Friday 3 October 2008 19.01 EDT
First published on Friday 3 October 2008 19.01 EDT

John McCain's campaign team was hoping yesterday for a desperately needed revival in its fortunes on the back of running mate Sarah Palin's folksy and punchy performance in the vice-presidential debate.

Palin lifted the spirits of Republicans, providing McCain with a platform to build on in his remaining two debates with Barack Obama, the first of them in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday.

McCain, who was relatively passive in the first presidential debate, is under pressure from Republicans to engage Obama more aggressively. Asked when he would take the gloves off, McCain said: "How 'bout Tuesday night."

McCain's team is looking for a strong performance to reverse what has been its worst week so far of the campaign, in which polls shifted to Obama in response to the Wall Street meltdown.

The shift mainly explains why McCain announced on Thursday that he was effectively conceding Michigan, a swing state, by pulling out campaign staff and ending ad spending. The decision signals a radical change in strategy, effectively giving up on winning Democratic states in favour of holding the states Bush won in 2004.

An Obama organiser said that until a fortnight ago the mood among white Democrats in Michigan had been sullen, with little enthusiasm for Obama. The financial crisis had changed that. "If the election was held today, Obama would have a narrow win" in Michigan, he said.

In an otherwise bad week, Palin's performance in the vice-presidential debate, in St Louis, Missouri, on Thursday stood out as a plus. Palin, portraying herself as a feisty representative of small-town America standing up to the Washington elite, matched - and at times edged ahead of - her Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

Although she frequently betrayed nerves early in the debate, hurrying out words and ideas, she made no gaffes, other than referring to the US commander in Afghanistan, David McKiernan, as General McClellan.

She said she thought it had gone well and that she had been "energised" by it. In an interview with Fox news to be broadcast last night, she acknowledged she had been bruised by the jibes about her lack of knowledge and admitted she had made mistakes but felt she had been unfairly "clobbered" by the media.

Two instant polls suggested that her folksy appeal failed to resonate. A CBS News poll found that 46% of uncommitted voters thought Biden had won, with 21% saying Palin had. A CNN poll found voters declaring Biden the winner by 51% to 39%. However, politicians - some Democrats as well as Republicans - and pundits awarded Palin at least a draw or even a narrow win.

Palin began the debate with confidence, striding across the carpet, blowing a kiss to the audience and asking Biden, "Hey, can I call you Joe?" She sprinkled her comments with folksy phrases such as "doggone", "betcha" and "darn right".

Foreign policy provided the biggest flashpoint. After Biden made a case for early withdrawal from Iraq, Palin hesitated, but then said: "Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq. It is not what our troops need to hear."

Biden betrayed emotion only once, when his eyes became moist while describing life as a single father.